Inaugural Gala

Leah Thomas, Founder of Intersectional Environmentalist & Author of The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet 

Leah Thomas is a celebrated environmentalist based in Los Angeles, CA. Coining the term ‘eco-communicator’ to describe her style of environmental activism, Leah uses her passion for writing and creativity to explore and advocate for the critical yet often overlooked relationship between social justice and environmentalism. With this intersection in mind, Leah founded and launched the non-profit Intersectional Environmentalist, a platform and resource hub that aims to advocate for environmental justice, provide educational resources surrounding intersectional environmentalism, and promote inclusivity and accessibility within environmental education and movements.

Building on her work in the field, Leah penned The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet. Published in March 2022, the book serves as an introduction to the intersection between environmentalism, racism, and privilege, and as an acknowledgment of the fundamental truth that we cannot save the planet without protecting all of its people.

Leah is also the founder of the eco-lifestyle blog @greengirlleah, where she uses her multiple years of eco-focused educational and work experience to inform her ever-expanding list of projects, and connect with her audience of more than 400k followers across channels. Leah has been named to several notable lists—including Forbes 30 under 30, TIME100 NEXT, INSIDER’s Climate Action 30, Marie Claire’s Creators to Watch, EBONY Power 100, and InStyle’s The Badass 50—and is an established public speaker who has presented at Google, 1% for the Planet’s Global Summit, Dreamforce, and more. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, The Washington Post, and Highsnobiety. She has also been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, and CNN as well as Good Morning America, ABC News, NBC, The Weather Channel, and numerous podcasts.

Leah is a graduate of Chapman University with a B.S. in Environmental Science & Policy and a cluster in Comparative World Religions. She has interned with the National Park Service and has worked at leading green companies, including eco-friendly soap company Ecos and outdoor retailer Patagonia.

Sheriff Eric S. Higgins is an esteemed law enforcement professional with an illustrious career spanning over 30 years. Commencing his journey with the Little Rock Police Department in 1984, he exhibited exceptional leadership skills, culminating in his retirement as Assistant Chief of Police in 2015. During his tenure, Sheriff Higgins spearheaded numerous impactful initiatives, including reinstating the Police/Youth Live-In Camp and establishing the Little Rock Chapter of O.K. "Our Kids" mentoring program for African American boys.

In 2019, Sheriff Higgins achieved a historic milestone as the first African American Sheriff to lead the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office in its 200-year history. Dedicated to the principles of Community Focus, Safety Driven, and Integrity Based (C.S.I.), he has successfully acquired over $3 million in grants. These funds have facilitated the introduction of state-of-the-art technology, innovative programs, and fortified the bond between law enforcement and the community. Notable programs include the Junior Deputy Mentoring Program, the Pulaski County Chapter of O.K. "Our Kids" mentoring program, and the C.S.I. Re-Entry Program has also successfully acquired over $2 million in grants, in addition to implementing Body and In-Car Cameras for all deputies in enforcement and detention. Also, the C.S.I Re-Entry Program was the inspiration for the Netflix-Unlocked Docuseries. Sheriff Higgins was the first to implement the Duty to Intervene and No Choke Hold Policy in the State of Arkansas. Early this year, 2024, Sheriff Eric S. Higgins received an Honorary Doctorate from Arkansas Baptist College.

As an adjunct professor, Sheriff Higgins has imparted his knowledge at Arkansas Baptist College and Shorter College, while also volunteering as an instructor for the re-entry program and The Exodus Project - Out for Life. His academic achievements encompass a Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies: Government and Business, and a Master of Arts in Human Services: Executive Leadership and Counseling from Liberty University.

Deeply invested in community engagement, Sheriff Higgins actively serves on the Volunteers in Public Schools (ViPS) Executive Board and has previously held the role of President of the Governing Board of Lisa Academy. Furthermore, he is a licensed minister, a devoted husband of 33 years, and a proud father of two daughters.

Embarking on his second term on January 1, 2023, Sheriff Higgins remains steadfast in leading the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office with his C.S.I. philosophy, affirming his unwavering commitment to public safety and community empowerment.

Camila Cabello is a diamond-certified, GRAMMY®-nominated Cuban-born singer, songwriter, actress, and activist pushing popular music and culture beyond boundaries and borders. She has notably emerged as “the first Hispanic woman to reach RIAA Diamond status” with her Billboard Hot 100 #1 smash “Havana” [feat. Young Thug]. She has garnered dozens of awards, including two Latin GRAMMY® Awards, five American Music Awards, and a Billboard Music Award. In 2018, her full-length debut album, Camila, bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and eventually went platinum, receiving  a GRAMMY® nomination for “Best Pop Vocal Album”, with “Havana (Live)” nominated  for “Best Pop Solo Performance.” With the success of the triple-platinum single “Never Be The Same,” she made history yet again as “the first artist ever to land two multi-format number one singles with the first two singles from a debut album.” During 2019, she teamed up with Shawn Mendes for “Señorita,” scoring a GRAMMY® nomination for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance”. Her sophomore full-length, Romance, ascended to platinum status and her third full-length album, Familia (featuring  hit singles “Don’t Go Yet” and “Bam Bam” feat. Ed Sheeran) was nominated for a Grammy and has over 500 million streams, making her the “first female artist since Adele to triple up atop Billboard’s Hot 100, Top 200, and Artist 100 charts.”  Most recently, Camila released her critically acclaimed fourth studio album which represents an evolution for the singer-songwriter, pushing boundaries with a project that is both musically and visually explorative, tapping into genres that extend beyond just pop and drawing inspiration from her Miami roots. Created with Producer El Guincho (FKA Twigs, Rosalía) and co-producer Jasper Harris (Jack Harlow, Post Malone), C, XOXO also represents Camila’s development in her songwriting capabilities, as she wrote the album in its entirety. C, XOXO features a variety of heavy hitters including Playboi Carti, Lil Nas X, Drake, and more. Additionally, Camila served as a coach on The Voice season 22 and made her acting debut as Cinderella in the 2021 feature film. She also appeared in feature films Trolls 3 and Rob Peace.  An advocate for underrepresented voices, mental health and the environment, Camila launched The Healing Justice Project with Movement Voter Fund in 2021. She is an ambassador for Loreal.

Tamron Hall is an two-time Emmy Award-winning television host and executive producer of the second longest-running ABC Disney-produced syndicated talk show “Tamron Hall,” a bestselling author and mother. Tamron’s extensive resume also includes hosting “Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall” on Investigation Discovery, “TODAY” and “MSNBC Live with Tamron Hall.” She received the 2015 Edward R. Murrow Award for her segment on domestic violence as part of “TODAY’s Shine A Light” series. In 2022, Tamron debut her crime-fiction novel “As The Wicked Watch.” In March 2024 she released her second book “Watch Where They Hide” the second book in  the Jordan Manning series. Following she released her debut cookbook “A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure, Fun in the Kitchen” in September as a way to memorialize her late father who was the cook in the family. This March she will release her first children’s book “Harlem Honey.”  An outspoken advocate for shedding light on domestic abuse, Hall has partnered with Safe Horizon to launch The Tamron Renate Fund in honor of her sister to help victims and families affected by domestic violence.

Marcia Gay Harden

“...a great actress who never shies away from truthfulness...”
The New York Times

Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden has forged an incomparable body of work, and like a chameleon she transforms into each character she plays. Her critically lauded performances are myriad – from glamorous Ava Gardner in Sinatra, to artist Lee Krasner in Pollock (winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress), to the down-and-out Celeste in Mystic River (Oscar-nominated in the same category) – and her versatility has been praised in other films such as Miller’s Crossing, The First Wives Club, Meet Joe Black, Mona Lisa Smile, The Hoax and Used People.

The four-time Emmy Award nominee has been twice nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role on the Golden Globe-nominated series The Morning Show on Apple TV+ opposite Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

Harden recently starred in the popular CBS mother/son dramedy So Help Me Todd opposite Skylar Astin.  She also starred in the Netflix comedy series Uncoupled opposite Neil Patrick Harris for which she was nominated for a 2022 Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Additional award winning and nominated TV performances include a three-season run in the CBS drama Code Black, for which she was nominated for a People's Choice Award as Favorite Actress in a New TV Series; a 2009 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her role in The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler; and an Emmy nomination for her guest appearance on Law and Order: SVU in 2007.

She earned a Best Actress Tony Award for the Tony winning play God of Carnage. Also adding author to her professional oeuvre, Harden saw the publication of The Seasons of My Mother, A Memoir of Love, Family, and Flowers (Atria/Simon & Schuster) in 2018.

Dr. Topeka K. Sam is the Founder of The Ladies of Hope Ministries, Inc. (@TheLOHM) and founder and President of EPIC Financial PBLLC, TKS Ventures LLC and Faces & Voices Inc.

She serves on the board of directors for The Marshall Project, Operation Restoration, Pure Legacee and United Justice Coalition. She is a strategic advisor for RBIJ and HARP.

She is Co-founder and Visionary Officer of FRSH.

Since her release from federal prison on May 5, 2015, Topeka has served as a 2015 Beyond the Bars Fellow and a 2016 Justice-In-Education Scholar both from Columbia University, 2017 Soros Justice Advocacy Fellow, 2018 Unlocked Futures Inaugural Cohort Member, 2018 Opportunity Agenda Communications Institute Fellow, Director of #Dignity for Incarcerated Women Campaign and Senior Advisor for NYUJ.

She hosted "The Topeka K. Sam Show" on SiriusXM Urban View Channel 126 for 3 years and is now developing scripted and unscripted series as an Executive Producer for TV & Film, inspired by her fight to change the many problems that plague female incarceration.

In 2020, the United Nations appointed Topeka as the Goodwill Ambassador for Social Justice (Incarceration Reform) of the Global Festival of Creative Economy. In December 2020, Topeka received a full presidential pardon for her dedication to helping women turn from a path of despair towards a path of redemption.

On May 5th, 2022, Google.org presented her with the first Social Impact Award at the Variety Magazine/Lifetime TV Power of the Women Summit and later that month she also received her Honorary Doctorate in Divinity from New York Theological Seminary.

Dr. Sam has worked and continues to work selflessly and relentlessly in her fight for the dignity, decriminalization, and decarceration of women and girls.

Kalomira is a Greek-American singer, born on January 31, 1985, in West Hempstead, New York. She gained widespread recognition after winning the Greek talent show "Fame Story" in 2004. Kalomira's music blends pop, dance, and Greek elements, captivating audiences with her vibrant vocals and energetic performances. In 2008, she represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Secret Combination," achieving a respectable third place. Kalomira has released several albums and singles, including hits like "Rolling" and "Stohos." Beyond music, she has ventured into television, appearing on Greek and American shows. Kalomira remains a beloved figure in both Greece and the United States, admired for her talent, charisma, and dedication to her craft.

Constantine Maroulis (pron mah-RULE-iss) is best known for his iconic star turn in Broadway’s Rock of Ages for which he garnered a myriad of accolades including a Best Actor TONY Award Nomination.  Constantine became a household name in 2005, during the heyday of American Idol, alongside Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry in front of 30 million monthly viewers on a weekly basis.  Constantine is a two TONY Award Nominee, a three time Drama League Nominee for Distinguished Performance, and a Broadway.com Star of The Year recipient.  Recent credits include Rock & Roll Man, the biomusical about radio pioneer Alan Freed, Original Sound, a feature film alongside Eric Stoltz, Bridget Moynahan and Laura Marano, as well as a myriad of film, television and digital media projects via his Sixth Place Productions.  Additionally, Constantine has toured extensively in support of his recently released singles “Daydream” and “Comeback” on Noble Steed Music.  Training: Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Constantinemaroulis.com